Explore Tekera Resource Centre

The community’s development objectives are driven by the community itself

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Although we are still working on self – sufficiency, it is now integrated into all our planning and programs. We hope this forward planning helps us achieve our major goal sooner.

- Nakalinzi Maureen, ICEF Field Director

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Why

At our very core, the International Community Empowerment Foundation (ICEF) strives to engage in a development model based on well-being and self – sufficiency.

Well-being and self-sufficiency are complex. Development based on these indicators requires a multifaceted and intersectional approach in our programming. As such, it is incredibly important to focus on a spectrum of locally situated initiatives with front-line led solutions. All our programs have 100% investment by the community, for the community. This ensures a real partnership between TRC and its community – building strategies for development together, hand-in-hand, while giving them control of their futures in an otherwise rural and resource-deprived area. This is the best way to make the biggest impact - from the roots up.

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Story

Tekera is isolated from services such as electricity, water, sanitation, and public transport. Prior to 2006, there was no road into Tekera and getting there required navigation through dense bush to reach the village. TRC was originally founded by a Canadian couple Brigitte and Bruce Daley, a local Ugandan Francis Kiweewa, an Irishman Killian Kehoe, and a Chilean Einer Rubilar. The Daleys worked diligently on the ground for five years to create a strong foundation at TRC, setting the framework for well-planned and transparent operations. After their lengthy residence in Uganda, they decided to transition back to Canada for retirement and family. Concurrent with their departure ICEF stepped in to partner with TRC to realize and grow its potential towards self - sufficiency.

Tekera is isolated from services such as electricity, water, sanitation, and public transport. Prior to 2006, there was no road into Tekera and getting there required navigation through dense bush to reach the village. TRC was originally founded by a Canadian couple named Brigitte and Bruce Daley, a local Ugandan named Francis Kiweewa, an Irishman named Killian Kehoe, and a Chilean named Einer Rubilar. The Daley’s worked diligently on the ground for a number of years to create a strong foundation at TRC, setting the framework for well-planned and transparent operations. After a long residence in Uganda, the Daley’s decided to began to transition back to Canada, to retire and be with family. With their pending departure, the community was considered high risk as TRC was still only ⅓ self sufficient with funds from it’s local initiatives. ICEF stepped in to fully support Tekera, recognizing the great potential of the community to grow and flourish towards self - sufficiency.

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Impact

Tekera is a resilient and resourceful community. ICEF’s work supports these existing strengths, building capacity and opportunity.

For the first time in its history, this area has access to education, healthcare, economic opportunity, clean water, agricultural skill building, and socio-cultural support. We offer a safe place for babies to come into the world. We support our TRC community in giving HIV/AIDS testing and treatment so the residents can live normal, healthy, dignified lives. Having begun with seven pupils being taught under the shade of a tree, we now have an elementary school with over 300 students, have graduated >100 grade 7 students, some of whom have gone on to secondary school and vocational programs, and many have received prestigious scholarships. The first ever student from Tekera Primary is now attending university, a first for the community! Having the first optometric eye-testing in the community, all our students received eye examinations in 2016. It was found that Christine, an 11-year-old girl, received support for an eye surgery that resulted in her having eyesight - for the first time ever. The women’s craft group, a socio-economic empowerment program helps mothers make an income in an otherwise isolated area. The community farm feeds one meal a day to the entire Centre - all the students and staff. The demonstration farm and cooperative farms offer additional agricultural markets for the farmers who might otherwise not be competitive. These are daily impacts of ICEF’s work.